


Thantophobia

by ash_mcj



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek, Cuddle, Cuddling & Snuggling, Derek Hale Loves Stiles Stilinski, Established Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Established Relationship, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Passive-Aggressive Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski Loves Derek Hale, snuggle, sterek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:13:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29398890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ash_mcj/pseuds/ash_mcj
Summary: Stiles hates when Derek is a self-sacrificing idiot - and if he was a stronger man, he'd make that stupid, reckless Sourwolf sleep on the couch for pulling this shit again. But alas, pillows are not as nice to cuddle with as his warm mate.[or: Stiles gets mad at Derek for risking his safety during a fight, they have an argument, and then they cuddle]
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 18
Kudos: 163





	Thantophobia

**Author's Note:**

> Me, sitting at my computer: I need to work on my series  
> Me, an hour later: thantophobia? this isn't my series...

The door of the loft slid open with a forceful  _ bang _ as Stiles stomped into the living room area of the open floor plan, Derek trailing in right behind him.

“Have fun with your silent treatment - I’m gonna shower,” Derek told him, as he moved towards the bathroom. 

“You deserve silent treatment for like a  _ week  _ with that shit you pulled!” Stiles said angrily. He watched as Derek shook his head and pulled the remains of his tattered, blood-soaked shirt off to throw in the trash. Most of his cuts were healed, but he was still covered in dirt-caked red smears. “What - nothing to say?”

“What do you _want_ me to say, Stiles?”

The two glared at each other for several long seconds, before Stiles took a deep breath and tilted his head up to look at the ceiling, trying to compose himself. He was livid, but he wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted Derek to say. There _wasn’t_ much to say, in all honesty.

Derek’s eyes were drawn to a slightly-bleeding cut along the side of Stiles’ neck that stretched from the base up behind his ear. “Are you okay?”

“No, I’m pissed.”

Derek walked over and reached out to take a better look at the scratch, but Stiles swatted his hand away. “Don’t touch me.”

“You’re hurt - let me see.”

“Fuck off.”

“Seriously?” Derek huffed, his nostrils flaring in annoyance. “You’re really doing this?”

“Sorry, I can’t hear you over all the idiocy rolling off of you...creating a fucking barrier in the air.” Stiles flailed his arm around, as if trying to swipe away the idiocy.

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“No, what doesn’t make sense is why you always feel the need to be such a self-sacrificing idiot all the time!”

“What do you think I should have done?” Derek asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “Let the feral omega kill Isaac? Was that what I was supposed to do?”

Stiles grabbed a large pillow off the couch and swung it hard to hit Derek in the chest, accentuating each word as he said, “We! Had! A! Plan!”

Derek ripped the pillow out of his hands and threw it across the room. “Not everything goes according to plan! Isaac would’ve gotten hurt, if - “

“So  _ you  _ got hurt instead?” Stiles exclaimed. “How is  _ that  _ fine?”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“Oh, really? Your safety is ridiculous? Huh, that actually makes perfect sense why you disregard it every time we face a threat.”

“I’m the Alpha.”

“Jesus, this again?” Stiles rolled his eyes dramatically, his head following with the motion.

“I’m the Alpha,” Derek repeated, his voice tight. “Meaning it’s my job to protect my pack. I couldn’t just let Isaac take the hits, if I was there and could stop it.”

“Protecting the pack and intentionally throwing yourself in harm’s way are not the same thing. Not when it happens  _ this  _ often.”

“Grow up, Stiles! Not everything is going to be sunshine and rainbows. Things are gonna get a little dicey sometimes and I might get a few scratches - but I'm fine."

“Grow up?” Stiles scoffed. “You think I'm being childish?”

“Right now? Yeah.”

“Then don’t date me, if I’m such a child.”

“Really?” Derek raised his eyebrows at him. “That’s how you want to prove that you aren’t childish? That’s what you’re going with?”

Stiles glared at him for several long seconds, both of them knowing that this conversation had reached ridiculous territory - but Stiles wasn’t one to back down when he was this far in.

“I’m going to bed,” Stiles said through clenched teeth, before heading towards the spiral staircase on the other side of the room. On his way, he reached down and grabbed the pillow from the floor and brought it upstairs with him. He made sure to slam the door extra hard, just to make sure that Derek could hear it over the sound of the shower turning on.

* * *

When Derek was finished getting clean, he made his way upstairs. The door was unlocked, which was a relatively good sign. He wouldn’t have to sleep on the couch, at least. Stiles was laying on their large bed, hugging the couch pillow that was placed in the center of the mattress to separate their two sides.

He slid under the blankets and turned to look at his mate. His eyes were closed, but there was a slight pinch between his eyebrows and his breathing wasn’t even enough to pass as sleeping.

“Stiles,” Derek tried, but was unsurprisingly ignored. “ _Stiles_.” 

He laid on his back and stared up at the ceiling, knowing it was best to just wait for him to talk when he wanted. If he tried to push it, it would just lead to another argument.

It was about five minutes, before Stiles said, “I’m mad at you.”

“I know,” Derek sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“For trying to die, or because I’m mad at you?”

“Both...but I wasn't trying to die.”

“I thought I was gonna lose you,” Stiles said shakily, his voice barely audible in the silent room.

Derek shifted to lay on his side, facing him. He reached out and when Stiles didn’t move away, he brushed his hand through the hair on the side of his head. “I know...but you didn’t.”

“I could have.”

“Yeah.” Derek gently coaxed the pillow from his arms and tossed it off the side of the bed, before hooking his arm around Stiles’ waist and pulling him closer. “I could’ve lost you, too. We never know what’s going to happen when we go out there.”

Stiles threw a leg over Derek’s thighs and nuzzled his face into his bare chest.  "I think it's called thantophobia."

"What?"

"The fear of losing someone you love."

Derek tightened his arms around the smaller man and pressed a kiss to the back of his head. His nose wrinkled a little at the scent of the dirt, sweat, and blood that clung to him since he hadn’t bothered showering. He hated that Stiles ever smelled like that. Like battle. Like  _ danger _ . 

“It scares me, too,” Derek admitted softly. 

“I’m sorry I hit you with the pillow,” Stiles said, smiling slightly against the wolf’s skin. “It wasn’t as good at snuggling as you are.”

Derek chuckled. “I love you, anyway.”

“I love you, too, Sourwolf.”

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think :)


End file.
